SB Nation User Blog: Direckshun

My October 2009 Mock Draft

Direckshun — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:48:03 -0000

At this point, after tinkering with a bunch of mocks, here is my October 2009 ideal mock right now.

First, a discussion of my goals:

I largely throw out best player available because I honestly have no earthly clue who will be the best player available anywhere. The Draft turns into a mad scramble halfway into the second round. So I projected players to a likely round and made my selection.
This draft is intended to be a meat-and-potatoes draft, designed to make our trenches that much better. Pioli has eight picks -- five of them go to the trenches, both in offensive line (2) and in pass rushers (2).
All defensive players were selected primarily by their ability to get into the backfield. I believe you can teach defensive players to play the run -- pass-rushing is much harder to learn.
Even though the biggest holes on this team may be WR and CB following this draft, I know Pioli will be in the FA market for both.
This draft is pretty solid in the midrounds with passrushers, so I used that to my advantage.
This draft also has about three players that are insanely fast but incredibly little. They all are prime targets as kick returners, and will likely be available in the 5th.
As long as this draft is not a massive bust, I will spend the next two drafts focusing on primo WRs and pass rushers.
I want four immediate starters, at least one additional eventual starter, and a couple consistent contributors. Of these starters, at least a couple have All Pro potential.

1. S Eric Berry, Tennessee

I prefer Berry over Mays. Mays is a gifted talent much like LaRon Landry is. But like Landry, I worry that he's just a scheme-changer, rather than a team-changer, if that makes any sense. The Chiefs defense can operate more freely thanks to Mays, but there wouldn't be a complete attitude overhaul like there would be with Berry who I view as an Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins leadership type. Great safeties make phenomenal defensive captains, and I see Berry gripping that mantle as aggressively as possible.

2. C Kris O'Dowd, USC

O'Dowd is just made to succeed in the NFL. Of all my picks, this is pie-in-the-sky material, because there's a good chance a team with fewer needs will go with O'Dowd. I think O'Dowd fixes the biggest problem on our OL: the center. Niswanger was smart, but not football smart. O'Dowd is a smart blocker that anchors well, and won't consistently get shoved back into Cassel's face. If O'Dowd is available at the top of the first, I'd put the Chiefs top priority at obtaining him.

I put considerable effort into upgrading the center and tackle positions because we have zero depth there. The guard position is weak too, currently; Waters has had a rough year and our right guard position has been pathetic with Goff struggling and Alleman not doing much better. However the Chiefs have a lot more options at guard than they do at either center or tackle. Colin Brown and Darryl Harris are both players that have potential. Wade Smith can play either position well enough. Ndukwe hasn't even gotten his chance just yet. So the Chiefs have the tools to tinker there.

2. NT Boo Robinson, Wake Forest

I do not believe the Chiefs would benefit too much from a two-down NT. The best NTs in this league are able to go three downs and are athletic enough to make noise in the backfield, not just anchor well. Robinson is an unusual talent, in that he's nearly 330 lbs and still athletic enough to get into the backfield -- really, he reminds me a bit of BJ Raji. Robinson is not going to be a block of granite type, but he will definitely occupy blockers.

3. OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

Carimi is just a beast of a man (6'8", 320+) and is a renouned run blocker who is swift enough to protect against speedier rushers. I'm not saying he's swift -- he's swift enough. Carimi would start today at right tackle.

4. OLB Dexter Davis, Arizona State

Davis is a pure passrusher, that seems to be all he does. And the Chiefs are shopping for pin-your-ears back types in the midrounds. Davis would be the best of the bunch. A decorated history in the Pac 10 of beating really good offensive lines for double-digit sacks every year. Davis is a lunchpail guy.

5. OLB Daniel Te'o-Nesheim, Washington

Te'o-Nesheim's production has also be consistently good in the very tough Pac 10. I think he's less likely than Davis to breakout, but this is another guy who does nothing else well other than get into the backfield. Could be a pure sack specialist?

5. WR/KR Brandon Banks, Kansas State

Banks is the speed demon I think this team should invest in in the 5th round. The Chiefs need a great kick returner, and the tiny Banks sports 4.2 speed with a 30+ yard kick return average. The rules changing on kick returns means pure athleticism and speed is more important than ever. Banks will pay for himself after a few years of solid returning.

5. RB Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State

A player like Dixon will be a must once LJ is released. Free agency always has a couple guys who can fill in, but if the athletic, 240 lb. Dixon survives this far, the Chiefs would be doing themselves a favor by grabbing him. Charles and Williams will be leading the rushing attack next year, and the Chiefs could use a big guy with a fullback's body who can plow through short-yardage situations.

The new-look Chiefs, assuming everything else stays the same:

QB: Cassel, Croyle, Gutierrez
RB: Charles, Williams, Dixon
FB: Cox

WR: Bowe, Bradley, Wade, Long, Lawrence
TE: Ryan, O'Connell, Cottam

LT: Albert, Ndukwe
LG: Waters, Smith
C: O'Dowd, Smith
RG: Brown, Harris
RT: Carimi, Richardson

DE: Dorsey, Magee
NT: Robinson, Edwards
DE: Jackson, Gilberry

OLB: Hali, Davis
ILB: Johnson, Mays
ILB: Williams, Belcher
OLB: Vrabel, Te'o-Nesheim

CB: Flowers, Carr, Leggett, Washington
S: Berry, Brown, McGraw, Morgan

K: Succup
P: Colquitt
LS: Gafford
KR: Banks
PR: Wade

Poll: What's Tyler Thigpen worth?

Direckshun — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:04:41 -0000

We have a notorious bias on ArrowheadPride, but let's give it a shot anyway.

Positives

Incredibly athletic QB.

Performed quite well throughout last season surrounded by limited talent.

More often than not, a great improvisor.

There are few QBs better at the bootleg or other plays that demand QB athleticism.

Great character.

Decent to great leader, if given the keys to an offense. Can be quite fiery.

Very durable.

Can put up solid numbers in the shotgun.

He can step up at any moment in case your #1 QB goes down.

Negatives

Accuracy is a huge question.

Consistency is a huge question.

Struggles under center.

For every two good improvisations, there's one that's really bad.

Has been known to abandon good QB mechanics in a bind.

Stares down receivers.

Over-relies on your team's best receivers.

Is too prone to tuck the ball and run.

In short:

We Chiefs fans are so used to Tyler Thigpen's play that we give him his own category. How many times have you heard "Thigpen looks like Thigpen" from a Chiefs fan over the relatively small time we've known him? He's exciting, radically different, radically inconsistent, brilliant sometimes and idiotic other times, but very well liked by his teammates.

I say he's a career backup in this league for the teams that are willing to try to harness his unique set of skills. There shouldn't be that many teams that are.

I say he's a 5th rounder.

Poll

What round of a draft pick is Thigpen worth, in your opinion?

1st

36 votes

2nd

63 votes

3rd

380 votes

4th

611 votes

5th

162 votes

6th

23 votes

7th

5 votes

He's not. We'd be lucky to get anything for him.

21 votes

1301 votes | Poll has closed

The Offensive Line Shakeup

Direckshun — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:27:46 -0000

Bringing in two players from the Dolphins, it is more than likely that both of these players will have a spot on the nine-man OL roster come opening day against the Ravens. As much as Haley argues that the best players will be on the team (and I have every reason to believe that Alleman and Ndukwe are among the best 9 OL we have right now), draft picks are currency. We just spent some of that currency by trading for Andy Alleman and Ikechuku Ndukwe, and there's no chance we release these guys as we whittle down to the 53. They will be on the roster when we face the Ravens.

But where? And who does this push out?

Well as I drew up a depth chart not too long ago on this site that attempted to place what I thought would be the starting OL on this team (forgive the fact that I put ten players down instead of nine):

LT: Albert, Taylor
LG: Waters, Smith
C: Niswanger, Ghiaciuc
RG: Goff, Brown
RT: McIntosh, Richardson

So something is going to get shaken up here. We have gone from what was a fairly uncontroversial slotting of players into what is going to now be a very competitive fight. There will be at least one player released that may be controversial.

Joel did his damnedest to figure out what the right side of the line may look like, but I think the center position is now in flux as well, and the left side may also be affected by this trade. I am not fooled by the mothership's official depth chart.

I try to tackle the implications of this trade after the jump.

The starters on left side of the line is not particularly concerned with this acquisition. Branden Albert and Brian Waters are chisled in as starters, and both have played pretty well this preseason, Waters in particular. We do not have a better offensive lineman on the team than Brian Waters. But the depth behind them is now in question with this trade.

Herb Taylor has struggled a bit at left tackle this preseason, but he has enough of a track record that it is unlikely anybody could replace him. He has performed well in the past, and still has the measurables and athleticism needed to substitute in an emergency. Left tackles are like quarterbacks in the NFL, every team needs two, and Taylor fits the bill just enough.

Backup left guard is a question of what direction the Chiefs want to go in. If they want a known quantity that is able to handle several positions along the OL, veteran Wade Smith is your man. Wade Smith has filled in for this team now for a couple years everywhere along the interior, and he has played okay, but never well. This seems to be his roof -- whereas other players, such as Colin Brown or Darryl Harris, are much younger with upsides. While Brown seems to be destined towards the right side of the line, Harris may fit the bill, but Haley values versatility. Can the very young Harris man other positions in a bind? I believe he's headed to the practice squad.

When it comes to the center position, there is one thing I am fairly certain of: between Niswanger and Ghiaciuc, at least one of these players will be gone by the final cutdown to 53, if not both. Haley and Pioli have liked Niswanger's comgination of intelligence, mentality and ability ever since he got here. But given Haley would definitely be going against his track record if Niswanger was starting opening day, because Niswanger has really struggled throughout the preseason so far. The amount of yardage he gives up every game in up-the-middle push is unacceptable.

But Ghiaciuc isn't much better, and judging from his time in Cincinnati, he's worse. And this is I believe where Andy Alleman comes in. Not that I treat the official depth chart at kcchiefs.com as gospel, but Alleman plays everywhere on the interior line, and has gotten lots of time in at center. He did start for a little bit for the Dolphins last year, and it's possible that he provides a fresh set of talent for Haley to throw out there so he doesn't have to reward either Niswanger or Ghiaciuc for their poor performance. I believe that you will see Alleman starting by the fourth preseason game and he will not relinquish it by the time we play the Ravens to start the season. Haley will find a way to keep Niswanger on the team (backing up either center or RG), but Ghiaciuc will not survive the cut.

Right guard gets cloudier, especially with Mike Goff struggling. I continue to believe that Goff will be the starter come opening day, however, so long as Haley is focused with fixing the center position first. Goff is a great combination of leadership and experience, in addition to some ability, and this is what's needed on this team. Haley loves the guy, he'll likely remain the starter and there is zero chance he's cut from the team altogether, which unfortunately a few Chiefs fans are speculating may happen.

Backing him up is a simple question of who is the most versatile while being the most serviceable. Wade Smith is the known quantity we discussed from earlier, but I believe he's locked into the left side. Colin Brown is Pioli's first draft pick for the OL for the Chiefs franchise, but there is simply no way that Brown is ready. The chances of Brown playing any minutes this season that aren't garbage minutes are absolutely zero -- which is why I think Brown will end up on the practice squad. Ndukwe is a definite maybe because it is unlikely that Ndukwe gets to surpass both McIntosh and Richardson at RT by opening day, and his versatility along the right side would be a plus.

But I'm putting my money on Rudy Niswanger, who has Haley's support and has played fairly well at the right guard position in the past couple years when he filled in. Niswanger's versatility across the interior, where the Chiefs are thin, would be a plus as well.

That brings us to right tackle. It has been obvious from day one that Pioli and Haley were incredibly unhappy with Damien McIntosh for whatever reason. Maybe it's the fact that McIntosh hates the right side. Maybe it's the fact that McIntosh does not fit the stereotypical skillset for the right side. Maybe it's because McIntosh has struggled. It's probably a combination of all of these factors.

If there was one major cut I can see coming, it's McIntosh. Pioli and Haley have tried many things to replace him. They drafted Colin Brown initially as a RT prospect, but he was moved inside. They tried slipping Barry Richardson over him on the depth chart, but Richardson has sputtered. Now they've traded to bring in a right tackle in Ikechuku Ndukwe from the Dolphins. McIntosh is now fighting for his life.

His chances are slim to none. Barry Richardson has played serviceably enough for the Chiefs to give him the starter job for now, even though I feel McIntosh is still the better talent. Ndukwe himself has said he intends to be the right tackle for this team, and his versatility to slide over to RG gives him the edge over McIntosh, who has complained already about being relocated to another position. And I think that's our right tackle depth right there. Richardson will have to hold off Ndukwe, while McIntosh is out.

So what's keeping McIntosh from challenging Herb Taylor over at the backup LT? Talent-wise, not much. McIntosh has more experience there than Taylor, and is probably about even in terms of talent, if not even a little better. But Taylor can better be utilized on special teams. And this is no small factor: a couple reports suggest that McIntosh has simply not bought into Haley's program. Which is unfortunate for him, but it makes sorting out LT depth easier.

So my new, updated depth chart prediction for opening day, with practice squad included:

LT: Albert, Taylor
LG: Waters, Smith
C: Alleman, Smith
RG: Goff, Niswanger
RT: Richardson, Ndukwe

Practice squad: Colin Brown, Darryl Harris

Top Three Studs, Duds, & Scrubs after the Chiefs Second Preseason Game

Direckshun — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 03:31:26 -0000

1800 comments? In one preseason game, by a team most project will end the season under .500 and have no prayer of a playoff birth? Yes, in the second preseason game, in which the starters played less than a half, Arrowhead Pride racked up 1800 comments over the course of the entire game. You guys are animals for Chiefs talk, and I don't see a passion like that hardly anywhere on SB Nation's other NFL sites. Certainly nothing like 1800 comments stacked up over four open threads for a meaningless preseason game. No other Chiefs site on the internet can match that tenacity.

So in addition to being animals, you guys are also being treated to the most exciting rebuilding effort this town has seen in my young lifetime. I was nine years old when Schottenheimer drafted Derrick Thomas and changed this town. His rebuilding job was by far the most intriguing of the bunch up to this point; his defense not-so-slowly ascended to heights the franchise had only dreamed of for the Dark Ages that preceded. But the Schottenheimer rebuilding period depended on past-their-prime veterans at QB. I was about 20 years old when Vermeil came to town and declared it takes three years to build Super Bowl teams. But instead of rebuilding, Vermeil just brought in a slew of veteran talent on offense and never produced squat on defense. I was 25 years old when Herm Edwards was traded here. His rebuilding effort, a complete destruction of the previous regime so that the complete construction of his regime of youth could begin, was clouded by the fact that Herm was very poor at his job. The reliance on stopgap QBs of Schottenheimer, the impatient veteran importation of Vermeil, the incompetence of Edwards... these rebuilding efforts were exciting in their own ways, but incomplete.

Well I'm 28 years old now, and Haley is presenting us with the most exciting rebuilding process we've seen, in that he leans on the Draft but does utilize veteran acquisitions. He does lock down QBOTFs, but loves to hedge his bets. This is the most complete rebuilding effort this town has ever seen, and games like today underscore that. There are negative things to be said about today, as there will be for virtually every preseason game imaginable, but the biggest positive is that across the entire team, you can see a vision forming. Whether it's going to be realized is another question altogether, but there's no denying that it's there and it's the most satisfying one we've seen since Marty, if not since the days of Stram (which is what I'd argue).

My top threes are after the jump.

THE STUDS:

CB Maurice Leggett. Leggett actually played four quarters today, and he was the best player on the third string defense, a great player on the second string defense, and a damn good player on the first string defense. This is not Tyron Brackenridge -- Leggett is as good as he is because of aware coverage, solid fundamentals (oh the tackling!), and because when he is asked to get in the backfield, he gets there in a hurry. There may not have been a better tackler on the field tonight for the Chiefs.

K Ryan Succop. Justin Medlock is giving Herm Edwards nightmares up in Canada, I'm sure. Only on Arrowhead Pride can you follow how a rookie kicker who only lasted one game is doing two years down the road, and the fact that he's tearing up the CFL with stunning accuracy only further proves Herm's ineptitude. But Chiefs fans aren't kicking themselves now that Succop's in the mix. Sure, he drilled mid-rangers today, but he's 3/3 this postseason with kickoffs that are landing in the endzone (at times deep in the endzone). I'm starting the nickname for him now: Ryan Succop shall hereby go by the name Mr. Relevant. Make it happen, AP.

QB Matt Cassel. His performance was not spectacular today, but aren't we all just a little relieved that this kid can play? Despite the fact that the offensive line was giving Cassel lemons all day, he created lemonade regularly. Cassel has physical limitations, but his head is 100% in the game and aware of the situation at all times. He can read pressure as well as any Chief QB since Trent Green, and unlike Green he actually has the wheels to elude. If he can do this well when he's not given protection, imagine what he'll do when he is.

THE DUDS:

The first string offensive line. It cannot be overstated that Cassel played well. He was given worse protection against the Vikings than he was against the Texans, and still played better. Rudy Niswanger's unit was, shall we say, inconsistent on run-blocking -- but it's pass protection was dreadful. And not just RT Barry Richardson, who I've criticized as having cement feet when it came to lateral movement. No, the line was leaky from Richardson all the way to our franchise left tackle, with Brian Waters as always serving as the only exception. That they would give up two sacks on our new franchise QB to a defensive line missing two of its stars is embarrassing.

The second string offensive line. The Vikings pride themselves on brilliant defensive line play, especially up the gut, and the depth they have there is as good as it is anywhere in the league. But this does not excuse the second-string OL getting beat just as bad as the first. Eric Ghiaciuc's unit was strong yet again with their interior run-blocking, but Herb Taylor is having himself a mess of a preseason at LT. Too many clean shots were taken on Croyle, in particular one nasty helmet-to-head where it appears the defender was untouched. Much to my surprise, Croyle survived. If the second string wants to survive themselves, they gotta keep the QB clean.

The third string offensive line. There is probably no more embarrassing feat for an offensive line than getting a first and 1 on the opposing team's goal-line and getting zero points in four tries. Twice the Chiefs tried Javaris Williams and Jackie Battle up the middle, both times Brian De La Puente's unit got manhandled, with Battle's attempt going hilariously awry, as every single Vikings lineman simply got under their Chiefs counterparts. The third unit had two series on the field, and both were underwhelming in pass protection and run-blocking, but it's that particular standoff that seals the deal.

THE SCRUBS:

ILB Javon Belcher. This one's as big a no-brainer as anybody listed here today. Belcher has earned a spot on this team due to outstanding special teams play, but his work on the field with the second-string defense was exemplary as well. His tackling was sure (he led the team), and his penetration into the backfield was fairly consistent. His weakspot is the entire LB corps' weakspot: coverage. The 3-4 asks linebackers to cover quite often, and I think this is going to be the defense's weakness all season.

QB Matt Gutierrez. God, what will Chiefs fans do now that this team actually has a chance to be legitimately three-deep at QB? Cassel, Croyle, and Gutierrez all played great by preseason standards, but Gutierrez's performance came with a weak offensive line and just a couple weeks with the playbook. It's becoming obvious now that Gutierrez is outplaying Tyler Thigpen, and is in the driver's seat for the third quarterback slot. The blame for the botched four attempts at the goal line at the end of the game were decidedly not his fault. They were the result of two up-the-gut runs that were stuffed by the Vikings' dominant DL, and two awful pass plays called by Gailey.

WR Ashley Lelie. This seems to be an odd selection, but in terms of stock-raising, few of the scrubs on this team can equal what Lelie did in a single series. First of all, Lelie is marked down as 6'3", but he's got a Randy Moss lankiness to him that makes him look at least 6'5". But Lelie's blocking downfield was a welcome addition to a WR corps that, under Herm Edwards, rarely did so. But more importantly, he made plays. The pass from Gutierrez to the back of the endzone resulted from Lelie creating interest in the endzone and drawing a pair of pass interference calls. Lelie also pulled in a good pass to the corner from Gutierrez -- before he was pushed out of bounds, further proof that Gailey's playcall was awful. Due to the rule change allowing defenders to push receivers out, fades to the outermost corner of the end zone are no longer possible. I called Lelie a "warm body" a few days ago, but his limited reps after only a week with the team signal that he could be headed up the depth chart, especially as Copper continues to fall with all his drops.

Kansas City Chiefs Depth Chart Projections

Direckshun — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:40:08 -0000

via www.uwrf.edu

Simple exercise: guess the depth chart on opening day. 53 players.

Your thoughts, welcome.

All I can say is that the leap from Herm to Haley, in terms of talent on the roster, has been quantum. I know I'm not alone when I say I've caught the fever again.

QB: Cassel, Croyle, Gutierrez

Teams almost always keep three QBs on the team. The question to me isn't whether Croyle will upset Cassel (only a madman would give a player who physically can't handle an entire season the starter job), but will Thigpen survive the cut down to the 53-man roster?

My guess is no. New coaches mean more than new starting quarterbacks; they mean new quarterback philosophy. Haley and Pioli want a quarterback in Cassel's vein, and Gutierrez -- whose connection to Pioli, Chris and Joel will tell you, is enough to pencil him in -- fits that model far better than Thigpen. His success in the preseason doesn't matter -- teams cut successful preseason performers constantly. It's whether you fit the system, and Thigpen does not. He will be scooped up within hours.

RB: Johnson, Battle, Charles, Williams

I think Battle has looked great in camp and in the preseason. The buzz is all about him performing the best of any RB on the squad. I think his body allows him to take a lot more touches in a game, too, should Two-Sev go down. Charles is a situational guy, no more. Savage makes this team as a special teamer, if he makes it at all; you cannot keep a slow 170-pounder who can only run up the middle.

WR: Bowe, Toomer, Bradley, Engram, Copper

I know Lelie is the new hot thing right now on Chiefs blogs everywhere, but the guy is a warm body. Engram and Toomer were the vets this team wanted, a combination of talent (Toomer especially) and veteran influence (Engram especially). Lelie offers little -- he is not a particularly outstanding character guy, nor is he all that talented.

Instead, I think the team keeps Copper and Lawrence. Copper is a Haley guy who works his fanny off and deserves the recognition for it. Lawrence is in the driver's seat for the kick returner job, and I think he'll end up on the practice squad if he doesn't land it.

TE: Cottam, Ryan, O'Donnell

The great unknown. Not only is this probably one of the closer battles at River Falls, but it's also one of the least reported. For what it's worth, Cottam's measurables and talent seems to completely overshadow those of all his competitors. (Full disclosure: I'm a Cottam homer.) But Ryan has apparently worked the way Haley likes it this offseason, so Ryan's run with the 1s... but then I see his sad performance last week and I see brick hands and inadequate blocking.

I simply believe Cottam's the better talent here, and that logic will win out in the end. O'Connell is probably practice squad material.

LT: Albert, Taylor
LG: Waters, Smith
C: Niswanger, Ghiaciuc
RG: Goff, Brown
RT: McIntosh, Richardson

This is probably the least controversial slotting on the entire team. Richardson running with the 1st notwithstanding, I can't see the guy starting this year. With a brand new franchise QB, you've got to put McIntosh in for his superior pass protection. But the great news for Richardson is that coming out of the draft, the consensus about Richardson two years ago was that he sported 1st round measurables with zero motivation. Herm failed to light a fire under him, but Haley managed to get Richardson to drop more weight than any other player -- so Richardson may be rising to the occasion.

DE: Dorsey, Magee
NT: Tyler, Edwards
DE: Jackson, Boone

I think the biggest question mark on this entire team, outside of Matt Cassel, is that nose tackle position for the Chiefs. Edwards simply got beat up at the point of attack against the Texans, whereas Tyler was slightly more stout, but still pretty much manhandled. It's a coin flip at this position, so I'm giving it to Tyler, even though I'm guessing his performance in the classroom is the exact opposite of what Haley is looking for.

OLB: Hali, McBride
ILB: Thomas, Mays
ILB: Johnson, Beisel
OLB: Vrabel, Studebaker

Not a lot of controversey here, either, and I think a lot more Chiefs fans are feeling slightly optimistic about this position after the first preseason game. Any worries that Vrabel wouldn't buy in after all this time away from the team were erased. Hali played fairly well. Studebaker and Mays proved that the Chiefs even have quite a bit of depth handy. The biggest question mark this season remains to be McBride, who in my opinion will look incredibly out of place at OLB. You'll hear this from me all season, but I think McBride's build was perfect for DE on this team, so I have no idea what he's doing here.

CB: Flowers, Carr, Leggett, Daniels, Washington

The backend of the CB roster, as it always does, will simply come down to who wants it more on special teams. As far as that goes, I haven't the foggiest. I can tell you that Leggett is all but assured a roster spot, and I like Washington and Daniels tons more than I do Colclough.

S: Page, Pollard, Brown, McGraw, Morgan

Will Brown surpass Pollard on the depth chart? Well... he should. But in my opinion, Bradley should surpass Toomer at WR. But continuity in the starting lineup is important in a 16-game season, and Brown doesn't have it. I think Brown will get a significant number of snaps, and may start a couple games this week when Pollard inevitably finds a way to disappoint. It's hard to believe the Chiefs will keep five safeties, I simply list both McGraw and Morgan here because I think they're both solid special teamers.

K: Succop
P: Colquitt
LS: Gafford
KR/PR: your guess is as good as mine

At this point, the only true unknown on this entire team is returning kicks. At this point I don't think you can count on Lawrence keeping the job, but the options of who would replace him is void of possibilities. Perhaps Savage will stick around after all.

Top Three Studs, Duds, & Scrubs after the Chiefs First Preseason Game

Direckshun — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 03:11:12 -0000

Photo via David Eulitt of the Kansas City Star

From the FanPosts -Joel

Yet another failed preseason game down for the Kansas City Chiefs, but unlike the previous two seasons, not all hope is lost. This was as energizing a preseason loss as we've experienced in a few years, and it's mainly because the team that Pioli/Haley is trying to build is coming on strong. The formations all looked very distrinct on offense, the defense's three- and sometimes four-man push up front was occasionally successful, and the calls were all of a different shade than we're used to.

All in all, after watching this game, I think one post that addresses just one aspect of anything that happened in this game (which the Star will undoubtedly do) is unfair, because sooooo much happened in this game. I'm going to try to single out particular performers that deserve some recognition for their work and their foibles, and even then I can't fit everything in that I'd like to say about a whirlwind of a game.

Mental mistakes lost this game, as did the bizarre playcalling by Chan Gailey at crucial moments throughout the game. The defense bent, but rarely broke -- which is a vast improvement over a defense that broke constantly last year. The first offense faltered with mental mistakes, the second offense brought life back to the game but faltered with mental mistakes, and Thigpen was Thigpen -- at times dazzling, at times hauntingly dumb, but always never quite looking like a traditional quarterback. He brought us to within a chance, and lost it, much like he did throughout his 2008 campaign.

With that in mind, the lists follow after the jump.

THE STUDS:

The second string offensive line. As soon as Cassell went to the bench, bringing with him Waters, Albert, Goff, and Niswanger (and as the Texans retired their starting DL), this offense completely changed. The playcalls were roughly the same, but all of a sudden our quarterback, the Man of Glass who can't last a game, was picking apart the Houston secondary. And all of a sudden, the tiniest player on our team played once again like he had the biggest heart, as Dantrell Savage busted through holes time and time again. Croyle and Savage deserve credit for their work, but the second string OL allowed these moments to happen, flawlessly executing for most of their time on the field.

QB Brodie Croyle. For the very first time, the absolute very first time since Croyle was drafted, he looked like The Guy that Herm Edwards had his eyes on in the third round. First round talent with insane injury concerns, we were told. Well tonight he proved the praise while he disproved the criticism. He took decents shots to the body, but he was still able to find Bowe as he consistently tore up the second-string secondary. There were passes made tonight that were downright thread-the-needle placements, and his arm has scarcely looked better. Credit to Chan Gailey for finally giving him an actual playbook, too, rather than the handcuffs offense during the Herm Edwards era.

WR Dwayne Bowe. Yes, his work tonight was entirely done on second-string corners, but that's not why he's here. I list him here because he responded to the embarrassing plight of Todd Haley's demotion Not like a showboater, although there was a welcome glimpse, but like a man. He took the demotion and instead of pouting about it, he challenged himself with it. This is the kind of mental toughness that this team needs, and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe exemplified it. He's ready for the next level.

THE DUDS:

RT Barry Richardson. There were absolutely critical moments of this game where Richardson, at a right tackle position where his measurables seem to be exactly what the doctor ordered, just couldn't keep it together. And then there were less critical moments, where Richardson still couldn't keep it together. He gave up far too much on the right side, and was whistled for a pair of holds and was not whistled for offsides, when he definately should have, perhaps twice. Richardson doesn't have a lot of competition at backup right-tackle to fend off -- they've bumped Colin Brown inside, and Herb Taylor is now strictly left-side -- but any chance he had at McIntosh's position has been a disaster if this game is any judgment.

Any and all returnmen. A welcome change of pace was the fact that the special teams play was exemplary on defense. No big returns, and not just by accident; the Chiefs swarmed every play. It also doesn't hurt when both of your kickers play very, very well (way to go, Succop!). The one gaping hole was very obvious; we have nobody to return the ball. Quentin Lawrence is simply not ready, but I support giving him the job at this point. Savage will occasionally give you a 30-50 yard return but he will never get to the endzone, and Robert Wright was completely awful. Lawrence was awful, too, but at least we can give him a season of practice if nobody else is capable of returning the ball adequately...

QB Tyler Thigpen. Only in the desperate world of wishful thinking could we consider what Thigpen did tonight as effective quarterbacking. Standing back in the pocket on his limited time in the game, Thigpen had zero composure behind a leaky, overwhelmed third string OL. His accuracy was next to zero. And not once, but several times did he abandon the proven mechanics of passing to desperately heave a side-armed or over-the-shoulder or across-the-body haul. I don't care if some of them were effective, some of them will always be effective, but you can't win doing it. Outside of his incredibly entertaining scrambling ability, Thigpen is not in Cassel and Croyle's league right now.

THE SCRUBS:

ROLB Andy Studebaker. Studebaker was not just the guy who racked up a sack in the middle of the game off a four-man rush. He is a guy off the street who made himself look incredibly convincing as a strong-side rushing backer. His coverage, like every linebacker's coverage on this team right now (hello, season-long-Achilles-heel), left something to be desired, but he is a blue-collar animal on the line of scrimmage. He's developed enough moves to be disruptive and his push alongside whichever DE he ended up supporting was always pretty strong. Studebaker is fighting for a spot on this team and he deserves recognition for a great game.

WR Terrance Copper. Copper had the dream of a lifetime for any NFL scrub by getting to start on the back of Haley's reward-those-who-earn-it preseason program. Copper is a roamer who doesn't have a great size/speed combo, but you can tell that Haley loves him for working the field properly. Copper ran sharp routes (especially button-hooks) for much of the time he was in, and he drew Cassel's attention regularly. He only brought in one catch all evening but he created a couple chances for another, and drew a much-needed penalty.

C Eric Ghiaciuc. This is largely a result of the second-string OL mostly dominating in their time on the field. Ghiaciuc, a guy whose arrival was met by some jeers from Chiefs faithful, was the sargeant of this period of the game. Adding a feather to Ghiaciuc's cap was the fact that for much of the time he was playing, the Chiefs' gameplan was focused on running the team's smallest running back up the gut over and over. With his help, and his work calling out assignments to protect Brodie "Mr. Glass" Croyle, the Chiefs were largely successful. Ghiaciuc may start challenging Niswanger for starting center, in a weird-name brawl-out at the very center of the offensive line.

AP '09 Draft Guide: OLB

Direckshun — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:13:02 -0000

Hey folks. Just trying to keep my end of the bargain. Enthused about this idea.

OLB has been unfairly described on draft boards across the interwebs as one position, when in fact it is two distinct positions that are just as different from one another as right tackle and left tackle. Guys who play well on the weakside may not fair well on the strong side and vice versa. Weakside linebackers ("Wills") are the fastest linebackers on your team. They are adept at zone coverage, but mostly they cover a ton of ground, and should be particularly adept at zipping to the QB. Strongside linebackers ("Sams") do not need to be as fast, but they definitely need to be the stronger of the two, as any path to the backfield must fight through the heavy side of the OL, including the TE, and they must be particularly adept at man coverage, as they are often responsible for TEs.

Our strongside linebacker situation isn't too bad, with our best defensive player, Derrick Johnson, as the incumbent there. Rocky Boiman has been a pleasant surprise as a young, undrafted nobody who, turns out, has a good nose for the ball. I believe Boiman has earned the opportunity to compete to be DJ's backup.

The weakside situation is dire. Donnie Edwards will likely retire this offseason, and that leaves us only with DeMorrio Williams. Williams is easily our fastest linebacker, but his play has underwhelmed this season. He is our current incumbent, but this team definitely needs more talent there. At the very most, we could use a stud to start with D-Will backing up. At the very least, we must have some depth there.

So my list will include my favorite 7 Wills, and favorite 3 Sams.

Wills:

1. Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri -- Call me a homer if you must. Lord knows I've bene susceptible to it before. But Weatherspoon is arguably the best Will this upcoming Draft, and it's very likely he'll be available for our second round pick. He has a great nose for the ball, and his speed is a great fit for the Cover 2.

2. Gerald McRath, Southern Miss -- McRath is a bit raw and will need some work, but his ability to get to the QB is what sells him as a solid 2nd round pick. This team needs a pass rush like oxygen this Draft, and McRath may be a future playmaker.

3. Anthony Heygood, Purdue -- Heygood is, in my mind, the fastest linebacker in the 2009 Draft. His athleticism is ridiculous and Purdue LBs have a good track record in the NFL, but he's very, very raw. He will need good coaching to realize his full potential.

4. Tyrone McKenzie, South Florida -- McKenzie is the opposite of Heygood in terms of attracting teams like the Chiefs: he doesn't have Heygood's ridiculous speed and he's a bit big for the weakside. But unlike Heygood, he has an impeccable track record, averaging over 120 tackles a year for two schools during his college career. Great 3rd round prospect.

5. Zach Follett, California -- Yet another Will who's displayed a good amount of speed and an ability to get to the QB in a hurry. Follett also has the advantage of playing in the Pac 10, which I always like because they face the toughest offenses.

6. Brian Toal, Boston College -- In terms of sheer talent, there are other Wills who are more talented than Toal, but few have his speed. Toal's stock has fallen recently because of a serious shoulder injury, but I love the smarts of Boston College players, and Toal's natural abilities could make an impact at the Combine.

7. Maurice Crum Jr., Notre Dame -- Crum plays well in coverage, and he's a fiery leader that this defense could always use in the linebacker corps. He's a well rounded player but he may be lacking the speed this defense needs on the weak side. Might be worth a shot in the 4th. Might.

Sams:

1. Brian Cushing, USC -- Cushing is probably the best OLB talent coming out this Draft. Cushing has shifted from position to position in his time at USC, and has excelled everywhere. He is smart, versatile, incredibly athletic and like all USC defenders, suited to the Cover 2. He is a 1st round pick, but not where the Chiefs will be picking.

2. Aaron Curry, Wake Forest -- Curry is a good fit for the Chiefs, should he fall into their laps late in the 2nd (if they trade down) or even into the 3rd. His strength is man coverage, which is exactly what he'll be asked to do in the NFL.

3. Cody Brown, UConn -- Brown will need to improve in his coverage, but there's no denying that this guy makes constant noise in the backfield. This is a Draft more than ever where the Chiefs need to be thinking pass rush, and Brown may fit the bill in the 3rd or 4th.

Tyler Thigpen's transformation from scrub to savior has been remarkable. Earlier in the year,...

Direckshun — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:16:51 -0000

Tyler Thigpen's transformation from scrub to savior has been remarkable. Earlier in the year, Thigpen was 14-of-36 for 128 yards, three picks and a fumble in a Week 3 performance. The past three games, Thigpen is 66-of-102, 710 yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions and no fumbles.

I see no reason why he would slow down. First of all, New Orleans' secondary sucks. The Saints are 21st against the pass, a statistic that has been dropping ever since sensational rookie corner Tracy Porter suffered a season-ending injury. Now, top corner Mike McKenzie is gone for the year as well.

Secondly, Thigpen has two Pro Bowl-caliber talents at his disposal. Tony Gonzalez and Dwayne Bowe have to be thrilled that the Chiefs have a competent quarterback for the first time since 2006. And now that Mark Bradley is emerging, Kansas City's offense has made the full transition from lackluster to lethal.

Walterfootball.com

Like You Own The Place

Direckshun — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 04:46:56 -0000

Second-year nobody Tyler Thigpen licked his palms at the ten-yard line and extended his forearms into the warm San Diego air, preparing his hardcount in shotgun formation. Gonzalez was in motion yet again, Bradley staggerred back a yard or two off the line of scrimmage, and Bowe stood wide, motionless as he eyed Thigpen's cadence.

I was in my correct stance, too: jack-knifed over the television set, squeezing my fists so tight my knuckles exploded. The classic Sunday afternoon of a Chiefs fan. The intensity rarely relented over four thrilling quarters in Qualcomm Stadium.

It was in these final moments of the game, however, that presented the most dramatic departure of the past two seasons for Chiefs fans everywhere: Tyler Thigpen's emergence as a potential force in the NFL. Statistically, he has torched two decent-to-good defenses and one downright superior one. Competitively, he has kept all three of his most recent starts winnable.

But his immense field presense was the most dramatic change of pace for a squad that's endured, for three seasons, low-key, frail quarterbacks (Brodie Croyle), elderly, frail quarterbacks (Trent Green, Damon Huard), quarterbacks who aren't actually quarterbacks (Ingle Martin), and pure, downright incompetent quarterbacks (Tyler Thigpen against the Falcons). But above all, the Chiefs endured quarterbacks who have struggled to provide the feeling that Thigpen exuded against the Chargers this afternoon: that come hell or high water, he was the leader under center (kind of) who can will this team to succeed.

Now, to be clear, we didn't succeed. Not today. But Thigpen left no doubt that it was possible. He played today like he owned the place.

But hopes were only high amongst the most blindly patriotic that Croyle could ascend to QBotF status after six sorry losses in 2007. Few believed that Huard could make chicken salad out of YouKnowWhat when he took the reigns. Heck, few believed Green had a final run in him when he returned to lead this team in 2006.

Really, the last time a Chiefs fan felt this good about his starting quarterback... may be beyond my ability to remember. Huard inspired in his short run in 2006, but he was accepted as a stopgap. The last time Green was his splendid self was in the 2005 season, the last of his heyday, and that doesn't compare to the QBotF feelings Chiefs fans are starting to generate towards Thigpen. No, the best I can do is 2000, when it was clear we had wisely traded for Green, and that we'd reap the benefits for years.

Thigpen's performance of potential yesterday, boosted by the sure hands of Bradley, Bowe, and Gonzalez, was the potential stuff that potential dreams are potentially made of. His decision-making was uniformly superb. He made brilliant decisions with ball placement, pocket manuvering, and trusting his receivers to make a play. His arm is impressive. His unflappability was remarkable. His passion is obvious.

It's possible that defenses start to figure him out, that his hot streak fades, that he's not cut out for the under-center style of football that prevails in December.

But like this entire team, he's starting to get it and it shows. He is a one man distillation of what this team is growing capable of. And he's already commanding a completely new enthusiasm for Chiefs fans for Sundays to come.

Statement Game? Why not.

Direckshun — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 01:42:42 -0000

It's the easiest proposition to make about a football team in the NFL, and the hardest one to be proved accurate: that a particular team, thanks to a particular game, has discovered its true identity.

Heck, we've written that about this particular Kansas City Chiefs squad at least three times this season: after the Raiders home loss we thought this team would be young and incompetent, after the swoon of the Broncos victory we thought this team would be fun and dynamic, and after the dregs of the Titans trainwreck we wrote that this team would be boring and disasterous. That doesn't even include the preseason. It's just impossible in this league for single games to have the monumental message delivery that we writers constantly invent for them.

Having tasted my own proverbial foot shoved down my throat heel-deep a time or two this season, I nonetheless can't help saying it's for real this time. Having watched this game, the Chiefs looked about as comfortable in their own skin today as they have all season.

We've mislabeled this team by simplifying them as a team on the verge of competing in a couple years. That rang true at one point while LJ was running hard at River Falls, Croyle was leading drives in preseason, and the defense looked somewhat competent. All Herm talked about was the future. The team was thinking about the future. We were thinking about the future.

But with Croyle out, LJ suspended and getting his act together, and our defense giving up historically awful performances against the run, the future has begun to look farther and farther away. It's become near-impossible to watch these games and feel good about the future of this team. I can only imagine what it's like to be playing the games.

It took second-year nobody Tyler Thigpen and all-time great Tony Gonzalez to reframe our perspectives onto the present rather than the future. Gonzalez's proud leadership on the field and in the locker room, combined with a downright sprightly performance by Thigpen, truly led a team to understand the excitement of being a spoiler. On the other side of the ball, the defense followed suit. Tamba Hali got his groove back on the left side and rookie Brandon Flowers made a name for himself.

Thrilled, more than anything, with the prospect of upending a good team that dared look past them. With Flowers' pick-six in the fourth quarter, you could feel it.

The Chiefs aren't racking up wins by the handful this year. They aren't world-beaters. But they can make their names as the league's traveling hornet's nest. They are young. They are unafraid. And they've really got nothing to lose.

The future will be here soon enough. So will the endless great discussions across the Chiefs blogosphere about who factors into this team's longterm plans. But this game promises us, for the rest of a season now worth watching, that all the newfound enthusiasm that comes with youth needs to be appreciated for what it is, and not wasted by simply focusing on the future.

Youth is to be appreciated while we get to enjoy it. It's a classic lesson of life. You spoil the fun by simply waiting for this team to grow up.